Duke vs North Carolina Picks, Predictions & Betting Lines (Feb 7)
By Jordan Tomiyama in College Basketball
Published:
- No.4 Duke visits No. 14 North Carolina in a Saturday evening matchup
- A star freshman battle will headline one of college basketball’s fiercest rivalries
- See my top Duke vs North Carolina picks and predictions on Saturday
Two of the biggest rivals face off in Chapel Hill as the No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels (18-4, 6-3 ACC, 4-0 Home, 10-5 ATS) host the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils (21-1,10-0 ACC, 5-0 Away, 12-6 ATS) at 6:30 pm ET. ESPN will carry the broadcast.
Duke is currently in first place in the ACC, while North Carolina is in fifth place. The Tar Heels are 12-0 at home this season, while the Blue Devils are a perfect 7-0 away from the Cameron Crazies. Cameron Boozer is a freshman stud for the Blue Devils, and he’s averaging 23.3 PPG and 9.9 rebounds. He’ll be matched up with fellow freshman Caleb Wilson, who is producing 20.0 points per game.
Duke vs North Carolina Picks, Predictions & Best Bets
The Blue Devils have come out on top against the Tar Heels in three straight contests. North Carolina is a home underdog, but they have veteran talent that could help steady the ship. Duke isn’t just a team of phenom freshmen this year and has returners that provide big minutes for Jon Scheyer’s team.
Duke vs UNC: Duke -5.5 (-106 at FanDuel)
Duke is a big home favorite for a rivalry game, but the Blue Devils have so much talent on this team that they should cover this spread. They have three players who are averaging double figures in points, and Cameron Boozer is the head of the snake. He’s a force on the offensive end, but can cause chaos on the defensive end with almost two steals per game. The sheer size and depth of the Blue Devils will cause problems for UNC.
Players like Isaiah Evans, Cayden Boozer, and Patrick Ngongba will be giving North Carolina players headaches all game. Evans has hit at least two threes in two of the last three games, while Cayden Boozer has one steal in three of the previous four contests.
Duke has also beaten North Carolina by at least 13 points in two of their last three head-to-head matchups.
Duke vs UNC Pick: Caleb Wilson over 17.5 points (-122 at FanDuel)
Caleb Wilson has the potential of an NBA lottery pick and has been UNC’s best player on most nights. For North Carolina to have a shot in this game, he’ll have to be a monster. He has scored more than 17.5 points in six of his last seven contests. The 6’10 forward from Atlanta is a menace on the glass, and it allows him to get putbacks or get to the charity stripe. Wilson will have all the motivation in the world to prove his worth against a rival team and a fellow NBA draft prospect.
Duke vs UNC Betting Splits
Bettors aren’t hiding who they think will win this ACC matchup. The college basketball public betting splits lean heavily towards the Blue Devils
Moneyline Splits
Duke Blue Devils: 88% of Bets / 54% of Money
North Carolina Tar Heels: 12% of Bets / 46% of Money
There’s a ton of support for the Blue Devils on the moneyline, so the market views Duke as a safe leverage play for parlays.
ATS Splits
The betting public is split almost 50/50 in this matchup in terms of the spread.
Duke Blue Devils: 51% of Bets/ 39% of Money
North Carolina Tar Heels: 49% of Bets/ 61% of Money
Total Market
The people betting on this matchup think it’s going to be a high-scoring matchup between two bitter rivals
Over 150.5: 84% of Bets/ 83% of Money
Under 150.5: 16% of Bets / 18% of Money
Duke vs North Carolina Odds
Saturday’s College Basketball odds price Duke as a big road favorite. It shows the talent and depth this team has.
- Moneyline: Duke -255 | North Carolina +205
- Point Spread: Duke -5.5 (-105) | North Carolina -5.5 (-114)
- Total: Over 152.5 (-110) | Under 152.5 (-110)
Odds as of 1:28 am ET
